Cold Steel Japan vs China Steel

[bouncer50]

I have quite a few older Cold Steel knifes, Their either made in the U.S.A or Japan. I have seen the newer ones are made in China. Do the China Cold Steel knifes use the same type of steel as the Japan made ones. I do know from a collecter stand point the older models will go up in value compare to the newer models that are made in China. Lately i been buying all the older model Cold Steel knifes i can find at flea markets and pawn shop very cheap. :bow:

[tigerfans2]

I have lots of knives but never enough knives. If Cold Steels are now made in china they'll go on the forget it list.

regardless of the steel

[RG Coburn]

I bought a couple Cold Steel ODAs from Wideners,around $28 a piece.Thought I might be getting a steal.They turned out to be Chinese made,but along side their Taiwanese,no real difference.Looks like the same steel.Chinese have the capability to make top notch stuff,its just that we get their crap.Oh,well.Wait till we're facing their new 5.8 mmm stuff.Might get a new opinion of "crap"..

[LVMPDawg]

I recently bought a Kobun made with their Krupp stainless.

My impression: Krupp=crap.

It came out of box dull, the edge was rolled, so I sharpened it and put it back in its plastic scabbard. Carried it for a day then attempted to cut an onion with it, and have had better luck using a butterknife.
Sharpened it again, and again after carrying it a day, took it out and the edge rolled, just from contact with the plastic.
The steel may be OK, I don't know much about it, but there is no comparison with their old Carbon-V or AUS steels. Maybe it's just poor heat treatment, but I'll not be buying any more Cold Steel knives made with this steel.

[yovinny]

I've yet to see ANY Chinese made knife, drill bit, end mill, or any other cutting tool's that were well made with quality steel and properly hardened.

They might make better, but the junk they send here is strictly for the people that judge their purchases only by cheapest price.

Cheers, YV

[goldenspurholderx2]

I don't know about Cold Steel but I bought a SOG that was "SEKI" Japan and it is one helluva knife!

[tigerfans2]

Originally posted by goldenspurholderx2
I don't know about Cold Steel but I bought a SOG that was "SEKI" Japan and it is one helluva knife!

ok........ well, it's this way see, China is a great big place in the Asian continent while Japan is a series of islands off the coast a ways.
Totally differnet places. Really, no shit.

[STGThndr]

Thanks for the heads up on the cheesy steel that Cold Steel is using. I never buy stainless anyway, if I can avoid it. I would like to try their san mai, maybe will get one of the san mai Master Hunters. Pity that CS is goin down hill... they made the best knife steel of any production knives Ive seen in my lifetime.

[gunhead]

I have a few Kitchen knives made in Japan by Global.
Beats the performance that I get from my Soligen Germany knives by a long measure.
If I was young, I would buy a set of Japanese knives which will last a lifetime.
Best steel I have ever seen but then again I am not a knife person.
Just an observation.
Rich

[goldenspurholderx2]

Originally posted by tigerfans2


ok........ well, it's this way see, China is a great big place in the Asian continent while Japan is a series of islands off the coast a ways.
Totally differnet places. Really, no shit.

What?????? My comment was intended to convey that even though I have no experience with products from Cold Steel I do have experience with a product from SOG that has a blade made in Japan and it is excellent quality. BTW anyone know what "Seki" is, the blade has stamped "SEKI-JAPAN" on it.

[LVMPDawg]

Seki is a city in Japan, famous for it's sword and knife smiths over the last 700 years, so I'm told.

Spyderco used to use steel from Seki city also, as I recall, good stuff.

I just bought a new Cold Steel Master Tanto using San Mai steel made in Japan (as all their good quality Tantos have always been).

The steel from Japan has always been top notch, and remains so, so far as I can see by using this latest blade. Very tough edge.

I concur with STGThndr, and generally like D2 and other tool steels for knives, but this San Mai (and Fallknivens laminated VG10 also made in Japan) has made a believer out of me.

Conversely, all Chinese steel isn't bad. I have a Katana that was forged in China that is very tough, and holds a great edge. I've used it for cutting tatami mats and even some backyard hedge trimming.
I just wish Chinese quality control was better, but we get what we pay for, I suppose.

[goldenspurholderx2]

Thanks LVMP, I've always wondered about the Seki part. I'm more of a knife end-user, I don't get too much in the weeds about the details. I know I like carbon over stainless just because it is easier for me to sharpen, if it has a good grind with attention to detail and can hold an edge I'm happy. Matter of fact, right now the only other knife I own (except for multi-tools and kitchen cutlery) is an Emerson, yeah it's stainless, a pain for me to sharpen, but I like it.

[Mott]

Gents,

I could go into a really long speech about China and how "off shoring is going to ruin America, but I wont. Suffice it to say China makes inferior product for American consumption period. Quality control, use of quality materials, proper design and general product operation (fit finish etc.) are all low if existent at all. You all work hard for your money, I beg you please save a little longer and make the choice to not buy China even if it does cost you more. You will get a better product and you will help America and yourself especially if you can find and buy American made products!

My 2 cents worth,

Sincerely,
Mott

You can flame me now if you wish......

[goldenspurholderx2]

No flame here, I pretty much only buy quality knives and not one was made in China. Honestly though I'm not a knife collector, I just have a few that are well made.

[LPC]

Leatherman is one of the companies that claims to be "American" but simply assembles Chicom-made parts at its Portland facility. Hard to think that this qualifies as an "American" product for most consumers.

Of course, Tim Leatherman's support of Kerry and Edwards is enough to make many people think twice about buying his Chicom-parts products too.

http://www.climbers4kerry.com/Files/Kerry-Edwards%20Endorsement%20Letter.htm

With so many deceptive companies out there, it's really hard to "Buy American" when one wants to do so. Cold Steel isn't hiding its Chicom-sourced blades, so this gives the consumer a decent heads-up about its products. Sounds like it's smart to look for their older products now, and skip their current line.

[bouncer50]

Originally posted by LPC
Leatherman is one of the companies that claims to be "American" but simply assembles Chicom-made parts at its Portland facility. Hard to think that this qualifies as an "American" product for most consumers.

Of course, Tim Leatherman's support of Kerry and Edwards is enough to make many people think twice about buying his Chicom-parts products too.

http://www.climbers4kerry.com/Files/Kerry-Edwards%20Endorsement%20Letter.htm

With so many deceptive companies out there, it's really hard to "Buy American" when one wants to do so. Cold Steel isn't hiding its Chicom-sourced blades, so this gives the consumer a decent heads-up about its products. Sounds like it's smart to look for their older products now, and skip their current line. I will not buy any made in China cold steel knifes, But i will buy their older made in American and Japanese made knifes. I have hear Buck knifes are being made in China now. :sad:

[LPC]

Originally posted by bouncer50
I will not buy any made in China cold steel knifes, But i will buy their older made in American and Japanese made knifes. I have hear Buck knifes are being made in China now. :sad:

I noticed that too - Made in China is scribbled on some Buck Knives. In this article, Buck says they bent over for Great-Wall-Mart and built a factory in China.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060326/news_lz1n26buckkni.html

They made a business decision. Let the customers make their decisions on whether or not to buy these Chicom Buck knives now. No thank you on Chicom Buck products.

[yarro]

The problem with doing business in China is that if you do not hold their feet in the fire over quality control they will send you crap or a mixture of crap and good product. I know as my wife runs a business that helps companies make stuff in China. I get to listen to her scream in Chinese at the manufacturers when they try to send crap product or cut corners when making the tooling. We have had them try to send us metal stampings using 1mm steel when the spec called for 1.2mm. We had them take all the scraps leftover from making car covers and sew them into a car cover that wouldn't fit any car and slip them into the shipment with good product. We have had to have our guy in China take every piece of product out of a shipping containers and look at it to pull out the 10% rejects they tried to bury in the pile. After awhile they give up and just give you what you want, but most companies here let it go as we Americans buy the crap anyway.

We only use companies that do business with Japanese companies (as that generally weeds out companies that can't make good product at all) and we tell them that we expect the same level of quality that the Japanese demand. Also, the lowest bidder in China will never be able to delivery an acceptable product period! When we reject the first shipment in China, which we almost always do, they realize that we are serious. Next is checking every piece in the follow up shipment in China to pull out the rejects from the first shipment that have been slipped in to recoup their costs from the first attempt. Followed by our guys insisting on being present during the packing of the shipping containers in the future so that we can QA random parts. At this point they either stop trying to screw us or they don't get our business. Any company that gets crap out of China have no one to blame but themselves.

Every contract we sign says that we don't pay the Chinese unless they meet the specs laid out in the contract and we check the product before it gets on the boat. The other requirement that we have is that if any bad product slips through, the Chinese need to airship good replacement product to the US. Our QA folks are relatives of my wife so that they don't accept the usual bribe to look the other way as will happen if you use some random Chinese idiot to do the QA (As Homedepot about that). We always insist that the American company send someone knowledgable to inspect the first shipment or two. If they aren't willing to make the commitment, we don't do business with them.

Too bad that Cold Steel lacks the ability to have a good product made anymore as I really like the knives they made in the past.

-Yarro

[Rich@CGW]

Not all Buck knives are made in China. About 20% of their line is.
The ones made in the US, will be engraved BUCK U.S.A. on the blade. ( you can usually pick that out in a photo )

Kershaw is still mostly USA.

Gerber Knives are about 80-90% China now. I used to love Gerber.

Lots of Makers have a cheap China line now. Even Boker has their Magnum Series made in China.

Wall Mart and Ebay shoppers don't care. All they see is a Brand name like Gerber for $15-$25 ( what US prices used to be ) or a Benchmade for $60-$100+. On the outside, They look just as well built. It's when you get down to the un-heat treated 440 Stainless. Thats when you realize the difference.

You'll be hard pressed to find a quality US Made Blade for under $50.

If you really have to import. Go Taiwan,Japan,Italy or Germany All nice imports.

Spyderco , SOG, K-BAR are all Taiwan. They seem to have a pretty good rep.

[Andy the Aussie]

Yep...I got "caught" with two Gerbers on e-bay....priced right and I was at the time looking for a couple of knock about folding knives that could live in my truck (read that as if they got stolen I would not loose sleep as I would with my Pumas etc). Both made in China....I was WTF when they arrived but shrugged it off as they do what I want anyway (and for $15 and $25 respectively they were not over priced). I have been out of the business for so many years now I just didn't realise how many companies had either gone over all the way to Made in China or as Rich says have a "special line" that is from there.

I have NUMEROUS Chinese power tools, I bought them knowing this, I am no tradesman (ask Mrs Andy about the various abortions I have performed around the house) and these do what I require. I just can't justify the cost of buying anything else.

Andy:beer:

[MAINER]

Thanks for this thread:

Gunshow past weekend, Cold Steel bowie, yup, made in Chiny, left it there!!

[bouncer50]

Originally posted by LVMPDawg
I recently bought a Kobun made with their Krupp stainless.

My impression: Krupp=crap.

It came out of box dull, the edge was rolled, so I sharpened it and put it back in its plastic scabbard. Carried it for a day then attempted to cut an onion with it, and have had better luck using a butterknife.
Sharpened it again, and again after carrying it a day, took it out and the edge rolled, just from contact with the plastic.
The steel may be OK, I don't know much about it, but there is no comparison with their old Carbon-V or AUS steels. Maybe it's just poor heat treatment, but I'll not be buying any more Cold Steel knives made with this steel. I have a Kobun it keeps a razer edge. Mine is made in Japan. Is your a China made one.:confused: I carry mine everyday at work.

[LVMPDawg]

Yes, it's a stainless made in China Kobun.

Last week I aquired an old Carbon V Kobun (Japan) from my partner, so all is right with the world.

I was wondering if I could re heat treat the Krupp Kobun then re handle it, but time-wise it's probably not even worth it.
Maybe I'll use it as a tent stake.

[jaflowers]

the only Cold Steel knives I've owned were all made with the San Mai steel and were produced in Japan. All 3 were/are great knives and have never had an issue with the blades. I usually carry and Emerson Commander or a Microtech Ultratech now days.

[larphred]

Damn, my CS San Mai blades are too beautiful to even take outside. I usually carry my Benchmade auto or a sweet little Kershaw Baby Boa (love that knife). Recently purchased a CS AK47. Kinda cool looking, but the jurys still out on it. Very sharp blade, but the angular shape feels kinda clumsy in my pocket.